A shearling aviator jacket, £25 from Primark. I love this jacket. I umm-ed and erm-ed about it because it is Primark, but its really cosy and keeps me really warm.

Brow brush and eyelash comb, £4.50 from Boots. Always useful - I've needed one for ages. It's working pretty well so far.

I cannot recommend this Soap and Glory conditioner (£7.50 from Boots) enough. I use it with cheapy, own-brand shampoo, and it works like a dream, especially on my difficult to manage, out of control, curly hair. I discovered it by accident, when "Santa" left it for me in my Christmas stocking, and I haven't looked back - it really defines my curls and makes my hair super shiny. It smells nice too.

For the last four years (if not longer), I have used a Caudalie face wash (seen here). I felt it was time for a change, so I wandered into Space NK (one of my favourite shops in the world), and a very helpful sales woman helped me choose a new face wash, for £12. So far, it's working very well - my skin is clear, doesn't get to greasy, and, according to my mother, my skin has a 'glow' to it. I don't believe her.

Budgeting and buying everything for myself has taken some getting used to, but I think I'm doing alright so far.

Friday, 15 October 2010

I've been hearing good things about Model's Own for ages now, so while I was in Boots earlier this week, with a friend who can only be described as a "shopping enabler". I've been looking for a new red shade for a while, and this one "Red Red Wine" (the last in the store) caught my eye. It's easily applied and dries really quickly. At £5, it pushes my student budget, but I think (hope) its going to last for a while. So far, it hasn't chipped, but I'm waiting to see what happens after I go to work tomorrow.

Friday, 8 October 2010

These are the best shoes I own at the moment - black suede heeled desert boots from Office. The heel is low, which means I can wear them when I'm at university, riding my bike, or running around at work, without my feet hurting. The sole has also got really good grip, which I which meant I didn't slip over in the rain yesterday.

They look really nice with dresses, skirt and trousers, but my favourite thing to wear them with at the moment is my chinos. I took them off while I paddled in the river while out on my bike ride today.

It was such a beautiful day today that when I got out of my last seminar of the week (TGIF!), instead of going home and doing my reading there, I hopped on my bike and rode down to the river, and did my reading there instead.

It really did feel like a summer day, sitting in the sun, but the trees clearly show that autumn is well and truly here:

This is my bicycle - isn't she a beauty?

She's a mountain bike with 18 gears, but I love her basket most of all. The bag hanging from the handle bars is my current school bag - a Christopher Kane & Style magazine tote my dad picked up for me at London Fashion Week (as a consolation prize because I couldn't go).

Friday, 1 October 2010

For some reason, I imagined that being a student would involve a lot of eating, sleeping, going out or just sitting around in halls with my friends. Fresher's Week ended on Monday, and my fellow first years and I have been thrown in at the deep end of the pool that is university life. What with all the reading I have to do for my course (already), my job, and spending time with my new friends, I've barely had an hour to sit and check emails, read blogs and update this one. Which may explain why I am writing this at 1:30am.

I did, however, find time to go to the Topshop Student Shop yesterday. My favourite purchase of the night has to be this black hat, which was priced at £25, but I got it for £20 because the whole point of the event was the students got 20% off.

I've been looking for a hat like this for a while, and I'm really pleased I found it. The feathers are actually brown, black and white, but I think when they get wet, they will get matted and so I think when that happens I'll just pull them out.

Florence Katharine

I'm an English Literature student and this blog is an outlet for my regret at having not done a fashion degree. I like books, dresses, nail polish, disposable cameras and picking flowers from people's gardens when I walk home at night.